This is not your average concert.
Sarah Whitney, Founder & Artistic Director
Beyond the Notes is a unique and interactive concert experience that changes the perceptions of traditional classical concerts and deepens the connection between the audience and performer.
How is Beyond the Notes different from the average concert?
Violinist Sarah Whitney, founder and Artistic Director, believes that too often there is a barrier between the audience and the performers when the audience knows little about the musicians they are watching. Whitney says, “Historically, you’d walk into a concert, be handed a program and be expected to sit quietly until the concert is done. There was no way to get to know the people you were watching on stage which is such a missed opportunity!”
The mission of Beyond the Notes is to change the concert experience and engage audiences in new ways. In addition to presenting some of today’s most sought-after musicians, Beyond the Notes invites audience members to participate in the concert by submitting written questions. Questions are selected randomly and answered live on stage by the performers throughout the concert.
Beyond the Notes was founded 9 years ago and presents concerts in the Boston-area, introducing different guest artists throughout the year. Beyond the Notes also partners with organizations around the US to bring this unique concert experience to other communities to reach as many people as possible.
Additionally, during the pandemic, Beyond the Notes added a COVID-safe mini concert series, called Beyond the Notes Minis - a series dedicated to presenting live music to audiences during this restricting time of COVID and supporting social justice. These mini-concerts presented eclectic programs that highlight the works of Black composers and 10% of all proceeds were donated to an organization that supports social justice.
A lot of exciting, new things are in the works for Beyond the Notes. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on concert announcements and news!
Sarah Whitney
Founder & Artistic Director of Beyond the Notes
Praised by the Washington Post for her “marvelous violin acrobatics”, violinist Sarah Whitney is celebrated for her musical versatility and fierce innovation in the classical music world. She is recognized as a successful performer, teacher, speaker, and Career Coach for Musicians. Sarah has appeared on stages worldwide as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa and is fiercely dedicated to bringing fresh new ideas to classical music and empowering musicians to thrive.
In 2015, Sarah founded Beyond the Notes, an innovative concert series that breaks down the boundaries between the audience and the performers. Entering its ninth season of successful concerts, Beyond the Notes presents concerts around the country in partnership with performing organizations as well as concerts in the greater Boston area. During the pandemic, Sarah created Beyond the Notes Minis which are COVID-friendly concerts presented virtually or outdoors that highlight the works of Black composers and raise money for social justice.
As former founding member and violinist of the NYC-based string quintet SYBARITE5, Sarah performed over 800 concerts around the world, including world premiers by Dan Visconti, Andy Akiho, Michael Gilbertson, Kenji Bunch, Daniel Bernard Romain, among others. SYBARITE5, who had three albums reach the top ten on the Billboard Charts, was the first string quintet to win the Concert Artists Guild Competition and performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Aspen, Caramoor, Chautauqua, Grand Teton and Ravinia Festivals. SYBARITE5 also premiered the first-ever Concerto for String Quintet & Orchestra with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Midland Symphony Orchestra, and Duluth-Superior Orchestra.
As a soloist, Sarah is currently touring a solo violin and loop pedal show which explores all of the unconventional ways a solo violin can be represented. She works closely with composers, including Jessica Meyer and Jonathan Kolm, who have both arranged and written pieces to expand the repertoire for this unique combination. She has also collaborated with the Alvin Ailey and Jose Limon dance companies, and been featured on-stage with Adele, NAS, Jeff Beck, Ed Sheeran and Father John Misty. Active as a recording artist, Sarah has performed on albums with Darlene Love, Josh Ritter, Stephen Kellogg and can be heard on William Bolcom's Grammy-winning album ‘The Songs of Innocence and Experience’. She has performed electric-violin with DJ’s Doug E. Fresh and DJ Spooky, as well as opened for Jennifer Hudson and Diana Ross.
Passionate about helping musicians navigate the ever-changing music world, Sarah is a Career Coach for Musicians and helps busy, high-achieving musicians thrive in a meaningful and fulfilling career they love without burning out. Sarah is currently on faculty at Longy School of Music and has given guest masterclasses and entrepreneur career workshops at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Rice University, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Michigan, among others. Her writing is regularly featured in STRINGS magazine and her widely-read blog The Productive Musician focuses on the strategies needed for musicians to thrive in todays music world.
Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan School of Music, as well as Master of Music and Professional Studies degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her teachers included Paul Kantor, William Preucil, Kathleen Winkler, Aaron Berofsky, Cyrus Forough, Stephen Shipps and Irina Muresanu.
Sarah performs on a violin made by J.B. Vuillaume in 1850.